What Happens Next?
by ijimmiedthewindow
Summary: Set after the season finale of the first season of Lost. What happens with the Hatch? What is the fate of Sawyer, Michael, Jin, and Walt? Will Charlie become addicted again? This is my version of what happens next. SPOILERS FOR SEASON FINALE
1. Unexpected

"Sawyer! Sawyer! Wake up man!" Michael cried out as he slapped Sawyer's face to get him to come to. He had a bullet wound in his right shoulder and a shiny red river of blood was leaking down his arm. Jin had pulled him out of the water and placed him on what was left of the raft. Part of the bottom of the raft was still intact allowing it to float but most of it had been blown to pieces. Jin felt for a pulse and nodded at Michael to indicate that he was still breathing. Michael continued to slap his face.

"Come on, Sawyer. Wake up!" Tears were leaking down Michael's face but they weren't for Sawyer, they were for Walt. The people in the boat they had signaled with a flare gun shot Sawyer and then grabbed Walt. They sailed away as one of them threw a bomb onto their raft, destroying half of it. Parts of the raft were still ablaze as Michael took one of the blankets that were aboard, doused it with water, and pounded out the flames. As the last of the fire was gone, Jin spoke out to Michael.

"Bad," he said as he pointed to the unconscious Sawyer. He then pointed behind them back towards the island. "We...return," he said as he pointed between Michael, himself, and the island.

"No!" Michael shouted louder than intended. "We can't just turn back! What about my boy! What about Walt?"

Jin understood when he heard the name 'Walt' and nodded but he looked at what was left of their raft and said a mouthful of Korean words. Michael knew what he meant. The raft was too badly damaged to just keep sailing. It would eventually sink. They had to turn back but how long would it take them to reach land, that is, if they can find it again. Michael got up in a rage and let out a loud yell of frustration and anger. Jin flinched and looked bewildered.

They heard a small groan as Sawyer stirred. His eyes flashed open for a split second and then closed again. He tried to pick himself up but was unsuccessful and fell backwards with a thud. He yelled in pain as his wounded shoulder hit the wooden floor of the raft.

"Sawyer?" Michael said as he gently shook his good arm. "Can you hear me?"

"Hmm," Sawyer moaned as his eyes opened half way. "Damn. What the hell was that?" His voice was barely above a whisper and his face twisted with pain.

"Sawyer you were shot and you fell into the water," Michael explained. "Jin saved you. Can you breathe okay?"

"What?...yeah, yeah," he whispered. He grabbed his wounded shoulder and clenched his teeth as his eyes shut tight. He opened them again and looked around. He looked a little disoriented. Jin and Michael looked concerned.

"Are you two alright?" he whispered as he tried once again to sit himself up but failed. "Where's Walt?"

Michael's face fell and he turned away. "Those bastards took him," he shouted out into the night towards the direction they had fled.

Sawyer and Jin were silent. They didn't know what to say. He stood there staring after them for a long time until he heard Sawyer groan again and he turned around to help him sit up.

"Thanks," he whispered as he and Jin helped him up.

"Here," Jin said as he ripped the sleeves of his shirt and tied them around Sawyer's shoulder. Sawyer grimaced with pain as he tightened the knot but nodded in thanks when he finished.

Michael examined the damage to the raft and came across Walt's bag. Tears rimmed his eyes and he angrily kicked the fuselage that made up the cabin. He collapsed onto the wooden floor and wiped away the flow of tears running down his cheeks. Jin put a reassuring hand on Michael's shoulder and asked, "You...ok?"

Michael nodded although it was a lie. He was so confused. It was impossible to chase after the boat with their damaged raft. It wouldn't even be possible with the raft fully in tact. The boat that took Walt had a motor and the raft did not. They also needed to get Sawyer back to Jack, fast. Michael sighed heavily and suppressed his desire to chase after Walt. He would have swum after the boat if he were alone. He didn't care if he had to swim one hundred miles; all he cared about was Walt.

"Michael?" called Jin as he handed Sawyer some water.

"Yeah." His voice was choked with anxiety and tears. "I know, let's go back."

_Back on the Island at the Hatch..._

Jack and John gazed down into the dark abyss with uneasy eyes. Kate looked over Jack's shoulder and a whispered a barely audible, "Wow."

"Well," Jack asked looking at John expectantly. "Now what?"

John looked at Jack with almost the same expression. "We go down."

"What?" asked Kate, "You actually want to go down there?"

John nodded as he stared down the long dark vertical tunnel.

"We can't do that," said Hurley. "Well I know I can't do that." Jack knew Hurley was talking about his weight. The hole was too cramped for a man of his size to fit.

"Alright," said Jack, "you and Kate can go back to camp with the others."

"Hey, I didn't say I wanted to go back," Kate said.

"Well you don't exactly seemed thrilled to stay, Kate," Jack said.

Kate just looked at him. She was clearly at a loss for words.

"How about you two stay up here while Jack and I go down?" suggested John.

"No," Kate said, "No I don't think you two should go down there. I don't think any of us should. We have no idea what's waiting for us down there."

"I agree with Kate, dude," Hurley said, eyeing up the hole as if it were a poisonous snake.

"There could be food or supplies down there," John reasoned.

"Or death," said Hurley, still glaring at the hatch.

"This could be our only chance for survival," Jack persisted, ignoring Hurley's cryptic words.

"Survival?" Kate asked, looking surprised. "If you haven't noticed we are getting along just fine. We have enough food, water, and shelter."

"But there could be equipment down there like a radio or maybe some flare guns," said John, trying to persuade Kate.

"But..." Kate tried to find a way of retaliation but it didn't come. She couldn't think of a reason why they shouldn't go down there. They were doomed to die on this island anyway. She could feel it. The real reason she didn't want to go down there was because she was worried about Jack. But she'd be dammed if she ever let him know that. John and Jack were looking at her, awaiting her debate. Hurley was still staring at the hatch.

"Fine," she said angrily, "I'll sit up here and wait."

Jack and John nodded. Hurley sat on a nearby log and began toying with a small plant that grew from it.

"Ok, I'm going to go down first," Locke said. "I'll talk you through it. When I get to the bottom I'll shine my flashlight up towards you. Let's just hope that it isn't too deep to carry the light." Jack nodded. "And you two," he added as he looked over towards Kate and Hurley. "If you hear anything suspicious, get help. If you hear anything besides us trying to escape, seal it shut."

Kate and Hurley nodded solemnly. John grabbed the top wrung of the descending ladder and lowered himself into the hole. He went down slowly and called out any obstacle he encountered. "Jack, there's a wrung missing about seven steps down so watch your step."

"Ok."

"It's getting a little slippery after the twelfth step."

After a while his voice grew fainter and soon only Jack, who had his face above the entrance could hear him. What Kate heard sounded like an easy descent and a weight lifted from her shoulders, although her gut felt like it was full of lead.

Suddenly Jack said, "I can just barely see that light, John. I'm coming down!" He flashed his flashlight back down the hole, signaling to John that he got the message. As he lowered himself into the hatch, Kate finally spoke up.

"Jack. Be careful."

He nodded and a couple minutes later, he disappeared into the darkness.

_Meanwhile, back at the caves..._

"So where did you find him?" asked Claire as she cradled Aaron in her arms.

"The place where the black smoke was coming from," said Charlie very importantly.

Claire's face fell. "Was there anyone there?"

"No. It was just an abandoned bonfire. The only person there was Danielle."

Claire scowled at the mention of her name. "I can't believe she took him from me. She was the one who tried to take him while I was still pregnant. I saw the scratches I made on her arm."

"Well she won't try it again," said Charlie.

"How do you know?" persisted Claire. "She did it more than once. Three times a charm, you know."

"Claire, I promise that she won't take Aaron away from you again. I told you that I'd take care of you."

Claire seemed to calm down a little and started to rock Aaron to sleep. "Thanks, Charlie. For, you know, helping me so much since we've been here. It's nice to have someone to rely on out here where everything is so unstable."

Charlie smiled. "Here, I'll go get you something to eat. I'll bet you haven't eaten all afternoon."

He walked over to his bag where he had a few pieces of fruit stored away and he noticed the Holy Mother figurine that was filled with Heroine sticking out of it. He quickly shoved it out of sight and glanced back at Claire to see if she had seen. She was luckily looking at Aaron at the time.

_Back at the Hatch..._

"How long has it been?" asked Kate as she sat around the outer edge of the dark tunnel known as the hatch.

"Only about ten minutes," said Hurley who was absentmindedly drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick.

Kate felt as if she had just finished off about a dozen espressos. She was jittery and restless. She had regretted her decision to stay out of the hatch and be on the lookout but she somehow sensed that it wouldn't be wise to go after them. This thought made her stomach clench tighter. She just kept reminding herself that Jack was a doctor and that John always seemed to know exactly what to do in difficult situations. She had to get her mind off of Jack so she looked to Hurley for help.

"Hey, Hurley?" she asked.

"It's only a minute later than when you asked me a minute ago," he said, not paying too much attention. "Just keep count in your head."

"No I don't need the time, it's about those numbers you talked about."

For the first time since he sat down on the log he looked up at her. "Oh," he said.

"Well?" Kate asked expectantly. "What are they and why are they bad?"

Hurley sighed. "If I tell you, will you keep them to yourself and promise never to use them?"

"Use them? Use them how?"

"It's best if you didn't know. Just promise me."

"Ok, I promise."

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was worth one hundred and fifty-six million dollars?" Hurley began.

Kate stared at him. "Umm, I guess," she said with uncertainty. "Why?"

"Well, back at home I have this...friend who is a little off. He lives in a sort of mental hospital. I was visiting him one day and he didn't say one thing to me for the whole hour I was there. All he did was mumble the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 over and over again."

Kate looked extremely confused. Hurley pressed on.

"There was a lottery drawing that week and I decided to play those exact numbers and, lo and behold, they won." Hurley smiled at the look on Kate's face. "I know what you're thinking. Just dumb luck, and that's what I thought too until different things started to happen."

"What sort of things?" Kate said while she subconsciously recited those mysterious numbers in her head.

"Bad things," said Hurley with a very serious tone. "People around me would either get hurt or drop dead. New, million dollar houses would explode into flames and burn to the ground."

Kate's eyes widened and she continued reciting the numbers in her head.

"But what was even more weird was that I kept earning more money. I put a portion of my winnings on several stocks and they always went sky high. However, every time I made more money, more bad things would happen. It's like those numbers are cursed. I _know_ they are."

"And you saw those numbers where?" she asked.

"On the other side of the hatch. They're etched onto the edge."

A shiver went down Kate's spine. She hated to think that Hurley's cursed numbers were currently etched onto what may be their only hope. She suddenly felt more worried than she did before about Jack and John's safety and what may be waiting for them down there. But at the very same time, she couldn't help from repeating the numbers over in her mind.


	2. Trouble

_Back at the beach..._

_Day is breaking..._

"Sayid," Shannon called out. The sunrise was giving the beach a soft orange hue. Shannon was searching frantically for something. "Sayid! Where are you?"

"I'm here," called Sayid, who had just come out of the bushes. "What is it? I was looking for my bag."

"It's Vincent," Shannon said.

"Vincent?"

"He's disappeared. I can't find him anywhere."

"I'm sure he's just off playing around," said Sayid.

"No, I had him on a leash tied up to a tree, he was here a minute ago." Shannon was beginning to sound desperate. "I promised Walt that I'd take care of him."

"Shannon, calm down," Sayid soothed. "He probably just broke away from the leash and took a walk. You have been holding him really closely lately."

Shannon sighed vehemently. "We need to find him," she said.

"He'll be ok, Shannon. He's a dog. They're a lot more resilient..."

"Look," Shannon interrupted and stared into his eyes. "I just need to find him, ok? Can you just help me look for him?"

Tears were rimming her eyes. Sayid was having a hard time figuring out why she was suddenly so attached to Vincent. She really didn't seem like a dog person. The helplessness in her eyes made Sayid feel bad.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go ask the others if they've seen him."

"Thank you," she said, and truly meant it.

_Inside the Hatch..._

"John! Over here!" Jack called out into the darkness. They had been traveling for a half an hour through a horizontal tunnel that was just tall enough for their heads to clear the ceiling. The air was moist and stale and reeked of mold and decay. The ground was made up of earth rather than metal similar to the downward tunnel and it crunched under their feet as they walked. They hadn't made as much progress as a half an hour would allow because they kept coming upon different obstacles.

"Look, there's more writing," Jack said.

"Interesting," John said as he studied the unfamiliar words and symbols closely.

"Interesting?" asked Jack.

"I know this language," said John, "It's Cantonese."

"What does it say?"

"It's just repeating the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 over and over again."

"How do you know Cantonese?" asked Jack.

"I had a friend who spoke it," John said. "I believe all of these languages are a repeat of the same numbers. I noticed on the way down that these numbers in English were covering the walls."

"Maybe these are the numbers Hurley was talking about," Jack suggested.

"Maybe," John said, still studying the walls.

"Well I think we should move on," Jack suggested. "I don't think it's a good idea to stay still for too long down here."

As they moved further down the narrowing tunnel they noticed that the ground was getting soggier. Jack thought that maybe the reason for this was that the tunnel traveled under the ocean towards a neighboring island. But it didn't make sense. First of all, the hatch was a good two miles inland and they hadn't been walking for more than an hour, and second of all, if a tunnel were built under the ocean, it would have been very expensive and therefore mentioned in the news. Jack didn't remember hearing about an underwater tunnel on the news. Jack looked up at the ceiling of the tunnel and saw no water droplets forming. It was almost as if it had rained inside the tunnel.

"Where do you suppose this water's coming from?" asked Jack.

"Possibly underground streams or wells," John said.

"Are those possible on islands?" Jack asked.

"Oh yeah. Any place there's water..." He broke off in mid-sentence and stood as still as if he had turned to stone.

"John? What is it?"

John held up his hand to silence Jack and continued to look forward into the black abyss. Jack was beginning to wonder whether John was playing a trick on him until he heard something. Jack's heart skipped a beat. It sounded like _someone_. Jack couldn't tell what the noise had been because it sounded very distant. So distant that it didn't even echo. But he could tell that it was definitely human as opposed to the cry of any wild animal.

"Do you hear that?" John whispered so quietly that Jack wouldn't have been able to hear him if he wasn't already listening hard.

"Yes," Jack whispered back.

"Come on," John said and resumed walking in a faster pace.

_Back at the beach..._

The sun had just cleared the horizon as Shannon and Sayid started towards the caves to continue the search for Vincent. Nobody so far had seen him and Shannon was becoming more worried.

"Shannon, relax," Sayid said, rubbing her shoulder as they made their way to the caves. "I don't want you to have another asthma attack over a dog."

"I won't," she said in a choked voice, "but I might if he doesn't turn up soon."

Sayid saw Charlie and Claire sitting over by the waterfall. Aaron was asleep and they were talking silently to one another as they both shared some kind of tropical fruit.

"Charlie, Claire," asked Sayid quietly, "Have either of you seen Vincent?"

"No, man," Charlie said. Claire shook her head.

"Well, if you see him come and tell me," said Sayid. "Shannon's a bit worried about him."

"Sure," Charlie said. "I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just off digging or swimming somewhere."

Shannon gave him a half smile but it was very forced.

"There it is!" said Sayid suddenly.

"Vincent?" Shannon asked hopefully.

"No, my bag. I must have left it here when we got back." Sayid walked over to retrieve his bag.

Shannon rolled her eyes and started to walk back to the beach.

As Sayid hitched his bag over his shoulder he noticed something familiar. He saw the top of a Holy Mary figurine sticking out of Charlie's bag. His brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Charlie take some of those drugs back to the caves with him? He turned around to question Charlie about it when Sun came running out of the thick trees, clearly upset.

"Sayid!" she said as she gulped in huge amounts of air. "The raft. They're back. Something's wrong!"

Sayid looked at Charlie and Claire for a split second before following Sun back to the beach.

"Should I go or do you want me to stay?" Charlie asked Claire who was rocking the sleeping Aaron in her arms.

"Let's both go," she said.

Sayid and Sun arrived back at the beach within minutes. The raft was swaying in and out as the tide carried it back and forth. It was badly damaged. Half of it was gone, including the sail and the remains were severely charred. Sayid was surprised that it was still afloat. There was a mark on the beach that looked as if something or someone were dragged away from the raft. Nothing about this situation looked good.

"Over there!" Sun shouted and pointed about a hundred feet to the left. There were quite a few people gathered around something. Sayid hoped that it was something instead of someone but inside he knew differently.

"Move over people," he shouted as he cleared the spectators and found a bleeding and unconscious Sawyer lying on the sand. Michael was pressing his fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. Jin was standing out of the group, letting what needed to be done, get done and staying out of the way. Sun ran over and squeezed him, gripping him so tightly that he grunted as she did so.

"How did this happen?" Sayid said. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"He's been unconscious for about an hour. Some guys on a boat saw our flare..."

"You made contact with someone?" Sayid interrupted, surprised. "You haven't been gone that long."

"They were no good. They shot Sawyer as he reached for his gun."

"Why were they no good? Why did Sawyer have to reach for a gun?"

"Because they said they wanted Walt," Michael shouted angrily. "They took him!"

"What?" Sayid asked disbelievingly. Michael got up and started to pace back and forth in frustration. Sayid took a shirt from a nearby bag and hastily replaced the old bandage. Sawyer's arm was almost completely drenched in blood.

"We need Jack," Sayid said. "Michael? Can you keep an eye on him while I go find Jack?"

"Yeah, sure," he said.

_Back at the Hatch entrance..._

"I wonder if they're ok," Kate said. "Hasn't it been like an hour?

"Yes," Hurley said. He wasn't fooling around anymore. He was almost as tuned in as Kate was. They were both sitting close to the edge in hopes of hearing their voices calling out with positive news.

"No news is good news, right?" Hurley asked. Kate looked at him skeptically. She wasn't quite sure she believed that. No news could mean that they were both dead and unable to give them a sign. Kate didn't want to think about that.

"Maybe I should go down there," Kate suggested, peering over the edge into the dark.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," said Hurley.

"Why not?" Kate asked.

"Because. Suppose something happens and I'm the only one left to get help?"

Kate raised her eyebrows. "And?"

"What do you mean 'and'? Have you seen me run? I'm not exactly a cheetah. You guys would be goners by the time I found anyone."

Kate smiled. "Alright. I'll stay up here. I just feel like something really bad has happened."

"You're just being paranoid," said Hurley. "I'm sure they're..."

"Kate!" Sayid's voice came booming through the trees. Kate and Hurley shot up at once looking towards the jungle.

"Kate!" Sayid finally emerged from the trees, sweating profusely.

"Sayid? What is it?"

"We have to get Jack! Sawyer's hurt."

"Sawyer? But I thought..."

"They're back. They ran into trouble. Walt's been kidnapped. Sawyer has been shot."

"Oh my God," Kate breathed. Hurley whispered an astounded, "Shit."

_Inside the Hatch..._

John and Jack were getting closer to the sound. It was growing louder but it was still very hard to tell what it was. The ground was never consistent. It had become dry again after they had jogged a few hundred feet and it was now soaking wet again. Both Jack and John were having a tough time keeping their balance. Jack noticed after a while that the writing on the wall was no longer there. Instead they were painted with various stains that Jack really didn't want to know the origins.

Jack was about to alert John of this change until something appeared out of the darkness ahead. Jack nearly slammed into John as he skidded to a halt. Jack's heart was pounding as he searched for the thing that blocked their path. He didn't have to see what it was because at that moment John said with a very surprised and shocked tone, "Vincent?"


	3. Lost and Found

_Inside the Hatch..._

The yellow lab before them was undeniably Vincent. He had the same license and collar as the Vincent they knew but there was something different about him. The look in his big brown eyes was uncharacteristic of him. Jack remembered him last as always in a playful mood with what looked very much like a big goofy grin but now he was different. His eyes, although they were still trusting and friendly, had an almost pleading look about them. His mouth remained closed and he did not pant. His nose would twitch every which way as if he were sniffing every smell that wondered past. His ears were on full alert, moving in every possible direction, listening. He was clearly in a serious no nonsense mood.

"How did he get down here?" asked Jack, not really expecting an answer.

"That isn't possible," said John, "Unless..."

"Unless there is another entrance we didn't know about," Jack finished.

Vincent then let out a short bark and wagged his tail once. Jack was reminded of the legendary collie, Lassie. He immediately assumed that Vincent wanted them to follow him. John obviously felt the same.

"Come on," John said. "Let's follow him."

_At the entrance to the Hatch..._

"I think I should go in after them," Kate said.

"No, I will," said Sayid. "I have more experience in these situations."

"How do you know that?" asked Kate.

"Look, Kate, we don't have time to argue. I'd feel better if you went back to the beach with Sawyer."

Kate was getting tired of everyone telling her what was best for her. She'd heard it all her life. She was worried about Sawyer very much but she was also worried about Jack. She also wanted desperately to prove her worth after damn near everyone found out she was a dirty criminal. She would have argued with Sayid further but he was right, they were very short on time.

"Ok. But what about you and Hurley?"

"Hurley should go with you. I'll be fine."

"We need someone to stay here and guard the entrance," Kate said.

"I'll stay here," said Hurley. "You go back with Sawyer."

"Are you sure? Because we really should have two people guarding the entrance?"

"I got it," Hurley said with finality.

"Ok," said Kate. "Good luck, Sayid, Hurley."

Kate sprinted off towards the beach as Sayid lowered himself into the Hatch, leaving Hurley alone at the entrance.

_Back at the beach..._

Sawyer drifted in and out of consciousness. The bleeding had slowed but he had already lost a large amount. His breathing was becoming shallow. Sun had made some sort of paste using several small plants and fresh water. She took off Sawyer's bandage and rubbed some of the paste gently onto the bullet wound. Sawyer let out a short, painful hiss as the homemade medicine was administered.

"Hey what is that?" Michael asked as Sun tied another piece of cloth over Sawyer's blood soaked shoulder.

"It's a family remedy. It helps keep the infection out and helps to clot the blood around the wound."

"Your family must have a lot of those remedies. I always see you making a lot of different things."

Sun smiled. "My mother taught me how to make them when I was very young."

"We're lucky to have you around," said Michael. He smiled but it was very quick. He was quiet for a moment, almost frozen in thought. Sun knew what was troubling them.

"We'll find him," she said. Michael looked at her, still silent. "Don't worry. We'll find Walt."

Michael nodded and stood up. "I need to get some air," he said.

Michael walked away from the crowd of people. He really did need some air. He felt like he was drowning in despair. He hadn't felt this helpless since he first learned about his ex-wife's death. He still felt an attachment to her but it wasn't as deep. The real helplessness he felt was for Walt. He still felt very much a father to Walt although he hadn't seen him in years. It was very troubling to know that Walt's mother had died and he, his real father, could do nothing to comfort him. Quite the contrary, he made things worse. He took Walt away from everything he knew. It was difficult for the both of them. The reason that he felt so bad was because once he finally had Walt, he lost him, and he was now powerless to save him. A tear ran down his cheek and he wiped it away. He refused to let his tears fall because he knew very deep down that he would get Walt back.

"Michael!" Kate shouted as she emerged from the jungle. "Where's Sawyer?"

"He's over there," said Michael dully. He pointed to the large cluster of people. They were no longer hanging over him curiously. They were now sitting or standing around him, some were talking to each other, others just staring off at the beach. It looked as if they were guarding him. This gave Michael a sense of security and he finally realized how close everyone on this island had become towards each other, they were like family. Michael recognized at once that Sun didn't just say what she said to calm him down. She said it because she also cared about Walt and that she would go to great lengths to protect him.

"I heard about Walt," said Kate suddenly, jerking Michael out of his reverie.

"Yeah," he said solemnly.

"We aren't going to lose him," she said seriously, "We'll get him back."

Michael nodded as she dashed up the beach towards Sawyer and for once in the past few hours, he smiled a true smile.

_Inside the Hatch..._

Jack and John had been running after Vincent for about twenty minutes. The dog didn't slow down once. He had clearly found something very important. Jack began to wonder what they might find and occasionally thought that they may be running into a trap. They finally came upon a fork in the tunnel. Vincent stopped and lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing vigorously.

As they took their short pause they heard the sound again. It was more audible. It was closer. They were closing in. Vincent picked his head up and stood stone still, his ears pointed toward the source of the noise. Jack listened carefully and when he heard it again, chills went down his spine. No. It was impossible. Nothing about this made sense. He was right in assuming the noise was human but he couldn't believe his ears now.

John looked back at him. His expression was the same as his: disbelieving. Vincent barked once, let out an ear-piercing whine, and then took off full speed down through the center tunnel. Jack and John tore off after him...

Sayid called out several times but got no response. He was running at full speed down the tunnel for about ten minutes, following Jack and John's footprints. He too noticed the writing on the wall and had stopped once, only briefly, to observe it. He spotted his native language on the wall, Iraqi, and read the six numbers out loud. He noticed that each section of the wall was dedicated to a different language. There had to be at least one hundred languages so far.

As his eyes traveled down the wall dedicated to the Iraqi language, he noticed a different message. It said 'Forbidden'. This made Sayid very uneasy. Few things scared him but for some reason this got to the very base of his spine. He resumed running until something else a few more yards into the tunnel grabbed his attention. There were sets of paw prints everywhere. From what he knew, they looked like canine tracks.

"Vincent?" he whispered to himself.

"Jack! John!" He yelled and waited. Still with no response, he continued his search at top speed.

_Back at the Beach..._

Michael decided that he would take a walk. He wandered the island hoping to find Walt but his mind kept telling him to give up his search. His heart, however, would not let him forget. He soon could not hear the commotion on the beach anymore and he found himself deep inside the jungle. There was no particular purpose to his wanderings but he just couldn't stop.

But something did make him stop. He heard a noise in front of him, just out of sight.

"Who's there?" he asked.

"Michael?" Shannon's voice called out. She sounded very out of breath.

"Yeah, it's me," he said.

"Oh. I'm so glad...I found somebody," she wheezed.

"Whoa, calm down," Michael said. "Take a breath."

"No. I can't."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Vincent...I lost him...I couldn't find him."

"Well that's ok he's probably fine."

"No," Shannon said as loud as she could over her own wheezing. "I found his tracks...I followed them to a tunnel..."

"A tunnel?" Michael asked, perplexed.

"Yes...a tunnel we've never seen before...Vincent went in there...I'm sure of it."

"All right then let's just go find him," Michael said starting off in the direction she had come from.

"Wait!" Shannon said suddenly.

"What is it?"

She took a huge calming gulp of air that slowed her breathing slightly. "We have to be careful," she warned. "There were human footprints leading into it also."

_Inside the Hatch..._

Jack and John were very close to the noise. It sounded as if they were right upon it and there was a very dim light up ahead of them that was gradually becoming brighter. It wasn't the bright glow of daylight but rather the very soft glow of candlelight. Vincent hadn't slowed once since he came to the fork in the tunnel. Jack was very happy to realize that that fork had been the only one. The walls were still smeared with stains and the writing they saw much earlier hadn't returned.

As they got close enough to the light that the flashlights they carried were no longer needed, Vincent came to a complete stop and let out a very low growl that was almost inaudible. John reached into his back pocket and took out his gun, Jack followed suit. Vincent began to inch forward slightly, still growling softly. Jack's heart was racing. There was an archway about a foot away from them on the left wall of the tunnel. This was the place that the light was coming from.

As they moved slowly in front of the archway, a horrible smell that was far worse than when they first entered the tunnel met their noses. It smelled of _human_ decay. In normal circumstances, Jack would have cursed and covered his nose upon the first whiff, he even may have vomited, but the tension that he felt at the moment demanded his full attention and he could hardly even breathe.

Vincent's growl had gotten louder and he was staring over into the dark corner of the small room they had entered. Jack heard a rustling noise and suddenly, just as if the ceiling had been split open to reveal the bright sunlight, the room lit up to reveal five men, some armed, some very big in size. They were gathered around something or someone in the corner, and as one of the men moved allowing the light to shine through, Jack discovered Walt, wide-eyed and tied to a chair.


	4. The Eyes of the Island

"Sawyer," Kate called quietly to him as she stood on the beach just above the surf. Sawyer was standing at the edge of the jungle, staring at her as she called out to him again as quietly as the first. Sawyer was amazed that he could hear her. Her voice was barely higher than a whisper although she stood far enough away that Sawyer had to strain his eyes to see her. It didn't take Sawyer long to notice that he was alone, but just as quick as the sun emerges from behind a cloud, his fellow survivors appeared behind Kate, getting ready to set sail on a magnificent ship.

He suddenly wanted to run to Kate, to the ship, to leave this damned island behind, but some imaginary force held him back. He didn't know why he wanted to stay but he could not protest the invisible ropes that seemed to have bound him there.

"Sawyer!" Kate called out again. Her voice was becoming louder and more urgent. He wanted to follow her, to tell her that he could not move but when he opened his mouth to speak, words different from the ones he was thinking poured out of his mouth. It was as if someone else was speaking through him.

"We can't leave, Kate," he yelled. "We can't leave anyone behind."

Kate looked confused. Sawyer felt the same for he saw everyone boarding the huge ship, even the people that he knew to be dead. Despite his best efforts, he still could not move, and more words that weren't really his came out.

"We have to find Walt," he yelled. "We won't make it without him!"

Suddenly as if a storm was moving overhead, the beach turned dark and Kate disappeared from view. The scenery changed and he was suddenly walking through a dark tunnel. He heard screams and he rushed forward, his legs were moving but he could not feel them.

Then there was Walt. He was at the end of the tunnel. Sawyer tried to move forward to help him so that they could leave but something kept him away. It was the same force that held Sawyer back on the beach. Walt tried to move towards Sawyer but he met the same obstacle. That's when he began to yell.

"Sawyer!" he screamed. "Help me, Sawyer! Sawyer!"

His voice echoed and the tunnel walls seemed to shake with every syllable. It was getting foggy and Walt's voice was changing. Sawyer saw Walt turn into Kate moments before the fog obscured his vision and he felt himself spiraling downward...downward...downward...

"Sawyer!" Kate bellowed.

Sawyer woke up. Kate was hovering over him, her cheeks flushed. The old pain in Sawyer's shoulder hit him like a brick and he groaned loudly.

"Easy, Sawyer," he heard Kate say as she squeezed his hand. "You were just having a dream."

Sawyer's vision began to focus as the pain in his arm dulled and he found himself staring into Kate's eyes.

"Freckles?" he said quietly. "I thought I'd never see you again." He flashed his big dimpled grin and Kate smiled back. That's Sawyer for you, Kate thought. Even after being shot in the shoulder and losing a countless amount of blood he still had his charm. He was considerably pale and looked very weak but that twinkle in his eye was still there.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," she said back with a smile.

Sawyer laughed but it turned into a cough and he winced in pain. His smile faded from his face and he closed his eyes. Kate stopped smiling and she squeezed his hand again. Kate could feel tears welling up behind her eyes. She had never seen Sawyer in such a helpless state. He would always put up a wall whenever someone would hit a soft spot. Always playing on his arrogant charming ways to keep people from revealing his weaknesses, anything to keep his manly pride from getting damaged. If this had never happened before she would have thought that Sawyer would have bounced back from being shot, getting to his feet and saying, "It's just a damn scratch." Now she knew better and it made her uneasy.

She suddenly realized that Sawyer was staring at her and she spoke up. "What happened out there?" she asked.

Sawyer took a deep breath. "Some guys showed up on a boat. They decided they wanted Walt. I went for my gun, but they were too quick. Bastards blew up the damn raft. Where is everyone else?"

"Jack and John are in the hatch. So is Sayid."

"Hatch?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah. It looked like some sort of tunnel."

"A tunnel?" Sawyer asked. He remembered the tunnel in his dream and how he found Walt at the end of it. "Walt," he whispered more to himself than to Kate.

"What?" Kate asked.

"The dream I had. I was on the beach talking to you. I was telling you that we couldn't leave without Walt and then I was in a tunnel. Walt was at the end of it calling me to help him. I think Walt might be down there."

"Sawyer," Kate reasoned. "That was just a dream. Walt was taken away on a boat. It doesn't make any sense that he'd be here."

"Since when has anything here made sense?" Sawyer fired back. "We've seen polar bears for God's sake! Look, I don't care if you think I'm crazy but don't dismiss the idea that Walt might be on this island. It wouldn't hurt to look."

Kate thought briefly that it was the gunshot wound causing him to act delirious but in the back of her mind she felt it was true. Call it women's intuition, but she suddenly _knew_ that Walt was in the Hatch. And as Sawyer closed his eyes again to rest, she thought about what he said about it not hurting to look.

_Further along the beach..._

Charlie managed to slip away from Claire long enough to examine the small handful of heroine baggies he had brought along with him. Claire was one of the many people sitting around Sawyer like a guard. Charlie had been sitting next to her playing peek-a-boo with Aaron and making goofy faces to encourage laughter.

"I don't think that babies laugh when they're this young," she had said. She herself was laughing at his antics while Aaron just stared blankly, most likely wondering what in the world this odd creature was doing.

"Sure they can," he said in between faces. "I'll get him to laugh, just watch." He leaned forward to get a little closer and he felt the presence of the drugs in his pocket. His many years previous as an addict had sharpened his methods of excuse making to find privacy for a drug fix and this time made no exception. "I'll go find something to get his attention," he had said.

"Ok," said Claire with a grin, "Just make sure it isn't poisonous."

Charlie gave her the thumbs up and made his way into the jungle.

He couldn't lie to his self. He did feel bad for lying to Claire but he wouldn't feel anything soon. He had gone through de-tox earlier but there was still a deep need for the drug. He would always feel it, but over time, if he never had another fix, that feeling would become less intense. He felt guilty for giving in to the temptation but he felt it extremely coincidental that he just happened to wander across an airplane full of heroine, his drug of choice.

He pulled one of the baggies out of his pocket and stared at it. He even opened it and smelled that familiar scent. It was definitely heroine. He realized that his heart was pounding and his hands were shaking. Then he started to sweat. He felt like he was going though de-tox again. He suddenly had second thoughts but he couldn't throw the drugs away either. For a moment, he was frozen. Deep down, the drugs scared the shit out of him because he knew what would happen if he started this again. The road of a drug addict was long, painful and lonely but it was also pure ecstasy.

His trembling hands brought the drugs closer to his face. He was halfway to Paradise and halfway to Hell. He felt the desire for it burning throughout his veins and the veil of eternal despair draping over his head all at the same time. Closer. Sweat dripped down his nose. Chills coursed up and down his spine, first hot and then cold. Closer. He could smell it again and it made him want it more. The trembling of his hands made the smell stronger and his heart skipped a beat. It was now right under his nose.

"Charlie?" came Claire's voice to the left of him.

He whipped around so fast that he almost dropped the bag. The sweat from his forehead flew off in a tiny shower as he turned quickly and he held his hands behind his back to conceal the drugs.

"Claire," he said in a squeaky voice that was thick with guilt, "I didn't hear you coming...I was just looking for something for Aaron."

"What is that you're hiding?" she asked. Her voice was held an accusatory tone but it was almost drowned out by shock.

"Oh...uh...nothing," he said, dropping the drugs behind him and praying that she hadn't seen them fall. "See," he said, holding out his sweating and trembling hands. He saw how shaky they were and he quickly shoved them into his pockets.

"Don't lie to me, Charlie," she said. Aaron was getting fussy in her arms. This was making Charlie more nervous. "What were you holding?"

"Nothing I just showed you..."

"Charlie!" she yelled. She was beginning to shake and Aaron was beginning to cry. "Just tell me the truth," she said. Her voice was strangled as if she was holding back tears. "I saw what you were doing so either way, whether you lie or not, I'll know the truth. Tell me," she said, tears were running down her cheeks now. "I need to hear you say it."

Charlie didn't want to say it but his mouth betrayed him. "It's heroine," he said quietly, completely ashamed. "But I just found it, I wasn't going to..."

"Bullshit!" she yelled.

Charlie jumped at her outburst. He had never heard her so angry before and his shame grew stronger.

"I saw you, Charlie! It was practically up your nose!"

"I can explain," Charlie said.

"Explain what?" Claire yelled back. "Explain that you lied? You told me that you were clean! You just dropped the fact that you were a junkie on me a short while ago and it took me forever to accept it!"

"But I wasn't..."

"No Charlie! I trusted you! And now when I'm finally starting to feel things for us you throw it all away for a damn fix!" Aaron was crying loudly and Claire's cheeks were stained with tears.

"Claire..."

"I don't want to hear it, Charlie," she said, "How could you?" She turned around and headed back to the beach.

"Claire wait!" he shouted but she continued to ignore him. When she was out of sight, Charlie sank to his knees and covered his face with his hands as he started to cry. He wiped his tears away and looked down at the ground. The baggie was lying there and the drugs were still inside. None had spilled. He picked them up and tossed them violently from his sight.

_Inside the Hatch..._

For a brief moment, time stood still. Jack and John were motionless with their guns raised and aimed at the men surrounding Walt. The five men were also poised to strike at any moment but they all waited for the first shot to break the silence. But as quickly as the pause occurred, it ended with a bang. It was John who had the first shot. He hit one of the men who were armed and as he dropped to the floor in a heap, the others, Jack included, sprang into action.

Jack fired his gun at another man who was armed and he saw him hit the floor. He had only hit him in the leg so he was most likely still alive. There was another guy crouched behind Walt, using him as a shield. He was armed and his gun was pointing towards John.

"John, look out!" Jack shouted as the man squeezed the trigger.

Jack heard a bang and saw John drop to the floor. He wasn't sure if he was hit or not because one of the other men was coming at him at full speed. This guy appeared to be unarmed but as he approached, Jack saw him pull out a knife and hold it out in front of him as he charged forward. Jack dodged him just in time and the large man went barreling past him. Jack turned around and shot but missed as the guy dived low to the ground. Vincent then sprang into action and grabbed hold of the large man's pant leg. Jack assumed that Vincent got a hold of more than just clothing for the guy yelled in pain. Two men were down and one was getting his leg chewed on by Vincent. There were two more. The same guy was still crouched behind Walt but he wasn't doing anything. He was just using him as a shield.

Jack heard noises to his left and saw John punching another guy only armed with a knife. Jack, thinking on his feet, aimed for the man who was fighting with John but as soon as he was ready to squeeze the trigger he heard a bang and felt a sudden searing pain on the side of his right leg. He looked down and saw blood trickling down his pants leg. He had been shot. He turned to find the man who Vincent had been biting standing behind him with a gun aimed at his head. Jack thought that his heart had stopped. He was staring down the barrel of a handgun. If it weren't for the horrible pain in his leg he would have felt that he was dreaming. The man who had the gun aimed at him was grinning. "Say your prayers," he said. Jack closed his eyes as he heard the gun cock and then click.

Nothing happened. The man was out of bullets. The man looked at his gun and then at Jack's. The smile on his face was wiped away and he tried to run but Jack was ready. He aimed his own handgun at the man's back and fired. The man dropped to the floor, lifeless.

Not thinking twice about his actions, he turned towards John who was still fighting the other man. Jack figured that John must have run out of bullets or he had dropped his gun because he was fighting with his fists. Jack resumed his previous action and aimed for the guy who now had his arms around John's neck. He squeezed the trigger when he had a clear shot but the gun only clicked. He was now out of bullets. He must have shot more times than he thought. Jack threw the useless gun at the man's head and hit with aim so precise that it scared him. The man fell backward and looked a little disoriented. John seized the opportunity to grab for a knife on the floor and when the man came at him, he plunged the knife deep into his gut.

As that man hit the floor, John looked over and nodded to Jack in thanks. Jack nodded back and turned his focus to the man behind Walt. He had finally stood up now that there weren't any more bullets being fired.

Jack's leg felt like it was on fire and his heart was beating twice as fast as what was normal. He no longer had a gun and the man standing behind Walt did. John was staring at the man too and he was just as unarmed as Jack was. For a moment it felt like nothing happened. It was the same tension that they felt when they first entered the room, only this time Jack and John were unprotected.

"Nice try, Jack," said the man as he stepped out of the shadows.

Jack was shocked. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.

"Oh I know all of your names," he said with a grin. "John," he added as he looked over in his direction. This man was thin with long hair and a scraggly beard. He had the look of a shipwrecked pirate. He still had his gun aimed at Jack and his gaze would drift back and forth between him and John.

"We've been watching you," he said.

"We?" Jack said, confused.

The man smiled and nodded. "And now, it's time for youtwo to die."


	5. Reunion

"Drop your weapon!" Jack heard from behind him. If it hadn't been a familiar voice, Jack would have jumped twenty feet in the air despite his damaged leg, but he knew this voice and it belonged to Sayid. Jack's first thought was that they were saved but when he saw the man behind Walt maintaining his aim on him he felt differently.

"I said drop your weapon!" called Sayid again. The man refused and on the contrary seemed to tighten his grip. He lowered his self to Walt's level to use him as a shield again. Walt struggled to break free of his binds.

"You don't want to shoot me," said the man. "Not when I'm so close to the precious little boy." His face and voice were almost taunting and he rubbed one of his dirty hands on Walt's head. Walt flinched under his touch and yelled a defiant, "Get off me!"

"Don't you dare touch him!" John shouted. He inched forward knowing that the man would rather keep his aim on Sayid since he was armed.

"Stay back, old man," the man shouted, "or I'll shoot you."

Jack was curious as to why he said that he'd shoot John when it would have been more of a threat to shoot Walt. He had his hostage right in front of him. Why not use him for his own safety to escape? Or maybe he had _plans_ for Walt.

John halted, Sayid shouted again. "Just let go of the boy and we'll let you go free!"

Jack assumed that this was bullshit. There was no way that Sayid would let him escape and give him another chance to harm someone else. Apparently the man was thinking along the same lines.

"I'm not going anywhere without this one," he said as he tapped Walt on the head again. Walt reacted the same way as before.

"Why do you need him?" asked John. Jack noticed he had moved forward a little bit more. Luckily the man hadn't noticed.

"That really is none of your business, old man," he said. "All you need to know is that I'm taking him with me and all of you are going to stay down here and rot."

With that as his final threat he fully extended his arm and cocked the trigger of the gun that was pointed at Sayid. Jack flinched as he heard gunfire and a body hit the floor. But when he opened his eyes, he saw that the man was lying on the floor, clenching his shoulder.

"Dad!" Walt cried out.

Michael and Shannon were standing in the archway at the other end of the room. Michael still had his gun aimed on the man and a look of horrible fury on his face.

"That was for Sawyer," Michael said. As he prepared to shoot again, John called out.

"Michael, don't!"

Michael didn't take his eyes off of the man but he obediently lowered his gun. He seemed too agitated to start an argument. Instead, he ran to his son, untied him, and took him in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Walt," he said, overjoyed. "I thought I'd lost you."

"That was awesome, dad," Walt said excitedly. Even Vincent ran over to give Walt an affectionate lick.

Jack couldn't help but smile at their little reunion. He was, however, beginning to feel a little dizzy from the blood loss and decided it was best to hold onto the wall.

Sayid and John rushed over to tie up the injured man with the same bindings that were holding Walt. The man yelled out as Sayid tied the ropes very tightly, not trying to be gentle at all. Sayid then found his way over to Shannon and hugged her. Shannon hugged him back just as hard. John walked around the room and appeared to be searching every corner. Jack limped over to Walt and Michael as Walt was explaining his terrifying journey.

"Hey, Walt. Are you ok?"

"Yeah!" he said, still very excited. "Did you see my dad shoot that guy? He was amazing!"

Michael smiled proudly. He had waited ten years to hear that he was his son's hero and he was enjoying every minute of it.

"How did you guys get down here?" Jack asked.

Michael looked over at Shannon who was staring around the cave with a look of deep disgust. "Shannon found another entrance."

Shannon smiled and shook her head. "No," she said modestly, "Vincent found it. I just happened to be looking for your dog."

She handed Vincent's leash and collar back over to Walt. "Here," she said. "I promised he'd be yours when we saw each other again."

"Thanks," Walt said, "for taking good care of him."

"Jack?" called John as he walked over. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Jack said. "I don't think it went through, it just grazed my leg."

"Here," John said, tearing off a piece of his shirt. "Tie this around your leg. We can't have a sick doctor."

Jack took it and tied it tightly, grimacing as it made contact with the skin.

"Are we ready to get out of here?" asked Sayid who had one hand on the man. "We really should get back quickly since Sawyer is injured." John walked over and grabbed him by the other arm as they all made their way out of the cave. Vincent, who was walked by Walt, led the way out of the tunnel, followed by Shannon and Michael who were helping Jack, and bringing up the rear were John and Sayid with the injured man.

The light in the dark tunnel was growing brighter and brighter as they neared the other entrance. Once they emerged out of the cave, they all had to stop to assess their surroundings.

"We came in from over there," Michael said as he pointed to a particular tree to their right. "I remember passing a really thick tree."

"I think that was further back," said Shannon with uncertainty.

But before anyone could say anything else, Walt called out to them from the lead. "Guys, it's this way! Vincent can smell his way back!"

"Walt," Michael called out, "don't let him pull you too far ahead!"

Along the way, John found a suitable walking stick for Jack to use. Michael then caught up with Walt and Shannon fell back to talk to Sayid, leaving Jack and John to talk.

"What do you think about all this?" asked Jack.

"I'm not sure," John said, "I couldn't find any useful supplies in that cave. It seemed more like a trap to me."

Jack looked at him quizzically. "A trap?"

John shook his head. "I'm just throwing ideas out onto the table. I'm really confused about all of this."

"Confused about what?"

"Well, besides the fact that there are other people on this island that weren't on flight 815, there is also the question of why they took Walt and held him captive in a place underground. And it wasn't like it was an underground base or anything. It was a completely useless room with easy access on one end and a sealed entrance on the other."

"Well there were other tunnels down there that were leading off in opposite directions," said Jack. "Maybe there was something that way."

"I don't know," John said. "I still don't understand why we had a sealed entrance when those guys could just walk right in."

Jack didn't respond. He didn't know what to say. He was at a complete loss.

"We may have to investigate again," John said suddenly.

Jack stopped briefly. "What? No. We aren't doing that again. It's too dangerous."

"I'll go by myself then," John said.

"Are you crazy?" Jack asked. "No. We all need to stay together. The last time we all went our separate ways we nearly lost some people."

"Well, maybe this is what our destiny wants to happen," John said.

Jack stopped again and stared at him. "Destiny? Every individual makes up there own destiny. It isn't planned out for us. And even if it was then all of our destinies would be linked because every event that has happened within the past however many hours has brought us all back together." Jack resumed walking as if to say the conversation was over. John said nothing more.

_Back at the beach..._

Sawyer was finally able to sit up against a nearby tree. The remedy that Sun had given him seemed to be doing its job. The bleeding had finally stopped and the pain was growing duller.

Sun came out of the jungle with more of the mystery remedy and with another bit of torn cloth. Sawyer opened his eyes and saw her approach.

"Aw no," he said as she sat down beside him again. "It's the nurse with the magical powers to create medicine out of every sort of plant she can find coming to change my bandage again." His voice wasn't hateful. It was more of a playful tone similar to what he always used with Kate. He was always trying to get a rise out of everyone; to see what his or her reaction will be. Sun's reaction was a smile but inside she was thinking that it was so much easier to dress his wound when he was unconscious.

Sawyer realized that Sun wasn't going to give into his light-hearted foolishness so he switched to a more serious tone.

"You should be really proud of your husband," he said.

Sun looked up from her work and stared at Sawyer quizzically.

"He was the one who pulled me out of the water," Sawyer said.

Sun smiled and nodded. She looked back at Jin who was making funny faces at Aaron who was crying in Claire's arms. Sun laughed and Jin looked at her, returning her smile with a look of deepest affection for her. She looked back at Sawyer and said, "I am proud of him. Thank you."

"Thank _you_," Sawyer said to her, truly meaning it, "you know, for this." He said as he pointed to his shoulder.

Sun nodded. An awkward moment passed. Sawyer didn't like all of the mushiness that had just taken place but what recently happened had just brought it out of him. He didn't know anyone cared that much for him. He had never in his life felt the way he did now since before his parents died. He suddenly felt that the awkwardness was too great and that he was being too nice for one day.

"Well, hurry up with that bandage," he said sarcastically, but not rudely. "It could get infected."

Sun smiled and continued her work. She understood his manly ego was at stake.

"Alright," came Kate's voice, "I'm going to go find Hurley. Maybe I'll go down into the hatch to look for Jack."

"Leaving me, freckles? Aw, what'd I ever do to you?"

"Very funny," Kate said, "It's been a long time and I left Hurley there alone. I'd feel bad if I didn't go back."

"Ok. Maybe you could catch me a wild boar with your bare hands while your out on your excursion."

Kate snorted. "You know what," she said as she put her backpack on. "I think I liked you better when you were asleep."

"Well shucks, freckles. I didn't know you cared so much."

"Goodbye Sawyer," Kate said, as she set off towards the hatch, unable to keep a straight face.

_In the jungle..._

"I think we're almost there," Walt said to his dad. "Vincent keeps whining."

"I think so too," said Michael. He was so glad to have his son back that he agreed with nearly everything he had said. A few minutes back, Walt had said that he thought Vincent looked taller and Michael agreed with him. Of course he knew that this wasn't true and that most kids, when separated from their pets for a while, will claim that they have changed. He just couldn't bring himself to correct him.

Further back, Jack and John hadn't spoken since the whole speech about destiny. The only time they did talk was when Jack had to rest and John changed his bandage and the only topic of discussion was how his leg was feeling.

Sayid and Shannon had talked a little about what had happened down in the hatch but they both thought it was best to talk when they weren't escorting the enemy along with them. It seemed that Shannon was on better terms with Sayid but she still seemed to resent John. Sayid tried to tell her that it wasn't completely his fault but she refused to listen. After that, they hadn't spoken.

"There it is!" Walt shouted as he let the madly barking Vincent run forward.

They had reached the beach where everyone was currently staying. Walt ran after Vincent and Michael followed him. Jack limped out of the woods with John at his side and headed towards Sawyer. Sayid kept his distance away from the crowd so as not to frighten them with the mysterious man. He found a piece of the plane far away from the crowd and tied the man to it, again not taking the time to be gentle.

There were a lot of smiling faces as they returned to their friends. Walt ran over to Sun and hugged her and then did the same to Jin. Other people shook hands with Michael and Walt, happy that they were back safely.

"How is he?" Jack asked Sun as he sat down with a groan.

"_I'm_ fine," Sawyer said.

"Oh, you're awake." Jack said, examining his shoulder.

"That I am, Dr. Hero. How observant of you." Sawyer wasn't ever going to allow Jack the pleasure of his rare kindness. Jack ignored him. He was too used to his sarcasm to care.

"Looks like you guys didn't need me," Jack said, smiling at Sun. "Everything that could have been done is done. It's healing perfectly."

"Yup. Looks like you aren't the only one who can save us all," Sawyer said.

"You could use some of this too," said Sun, noticing his injured leg.

"Oh that's ok," said John. "I don't need it. Save it for Sawyer."

Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"I have plenty," Sun said and she stooped down to examine him.

"Jack!" Kate called suddenly. Jack turned around and saw Kate running out of the jungle. She looked upset.

"Jack," she called again as she got closer. She finally reached them and doubled over to catch her breath.

"What is it, Kate?" he asked.

"It's Hurley," she finally managed, "I can't find him anywhere."


	6. Old Wounds

Charlie had hesitated on his return to the beach. He couldn't bring himself to face Claire, he couldn't even look at her without feeling ashamed but he had to go back. He drifted back towards the beach at a record slow pace, dragging his feet and weaving in and out of every tree. He had stopped a few times to ask himself if he'd rather go back to the caves but he decided not to.

He had buried the drugs. It took him forever to do it since he would dig them back up every couple of seconds. He finally told himself to do it and run and he did. As soon as the drugs were out of his sight he took off without even a single look back. He was overwhelmingly proud of himself for not taking the drugs. He owed his strength to Claire. If it weren't for her then he would probably be high right now. Kicking back against a tree, lying in the shade, feeling nothing but elation and not having a care in the world.

He was proud but he was also disappointed. He had lost Claire. He was sure she would never speak to him again, whether he was clean or not. He had lost her trust over a drug and he didn't even get to take the hit. He had screwed up. Living on this island was absolutely in no way different from being back at home. He was still one big screw up and he hated himself for it. He had finally found someone to give him purpose, to give him strength, and he threw it all away for, as Claire said, "a damn fix".

He could hear the water washing up on the surf now. He was close. For a second he felt like he would stay here, just out of sight and admire Claire from afar, that is until he heard his name.

"Charlie!"

It was Kate. She was running over to him at a rather fast pace.

"Charlie," Kate asked as she finally reached him, "Hurley's missing. We need people to go looking for him. Are you in?"

Charlie thought for a moment and then looked over at Claire. She was sitting near the water, cradling a sleeping Aaron when she looked up and their eyes met for a brief second. Charlie could see the disappointment on her face and it made him feel horrible. As she diverted her gaze from his, Kate spoke again.

"Are you in?"

"Yeah," he said, "I'll go."

>>>

"Ok," John said to the very small group of people. "We're going to start the search at the hatch, then we're going to spread out into groups. Each group will search in their designated direction until the sun is no longer visible over the horizon. That means that if you can't see the sun, turn back, even if it is still light. If someone finds Hurley, they should stay where they are. When everyone else comes back to the starting point, we'll see that you're missing and we will set off in whatever direction that person went. Any questions?"

The small group consisted of John, Kate, Charlie, Jack (Kate had argued for him to stay behind because of his leg but Jack ignored her), and Jin. Sun was standing next to Jin only for the purpose of translating what John said to him. After the group had contemplated their mission, a couple of hands rose.

"What happens if we run into trouble?" Charlie asked.

"Same rules apply," John responded, "When we all get back to our starting point, we'll see who's missing and go look for them.

"How will we defend ourselves if we run into trouble?" Kate asked.

John thought about this for a moment. "I didn't really think we'd need these but if you think you need them that bad…"

He wandered off into the woods and came back with a silver suitcase. He fooled with the number lock on the suitcase and then opened it slowly as if savoring the experience. The group at once realized that it was the suitcase that held the hunting knives. Everyone was given one knife and John took the extra.

"Any more questions?" John asked.

Before anyone else could say a word, Shannon made her way over to the group. Everyone was silent as they waited for her to say something.

"I'll go with you all," she said sheepishly. "Hurley was always nice to me and, besides, Boone would have wanted me to go."

When she had mentioned Boone's name she looked over at John and held her gaze. It wasn't a pleasant stare but it wasn't completely hateful either. It was almost as if it could be determined as either/or depending if one was a pessimist or an optimist.

"Ok," Jack said with a smile, "Thanks. We need all the help we can get."

Shannon smiled back at Jack. She heard from someone of how hard Jack had worked to save Boone's life and she was forever grateful to him.

"So," John said, "Let's break up into groups. Jin, Charlie. You two will go eastward…"

"Why do I have to go with the one person who doesn't speak a word of bloody English?" Charlie asked dramatically. Sun, who was still translating for Jin, hit Charlie in the arm. John went on.

"Kate and Jack will go west, Shannon and I…"

"No," Shannon said, suddenly. "I'd rather go with someone else."

John stared at her for the longest time and Shannon stared back. This time Shannon's eyes were somewhat hateful. John didn't appear to be angry. He looked more frustrated than angry. It also looked as if he was deeply ashamed and it showed more as he lowered his head to think of a response.

"Fine," he said slowly as if trying to keep calm, "Who would you like to go with?"

Shannon considered this as she stared at John but it only took her a few seconds to decide. "Jack," she said.

"Ok," John said, "Kate. Looks like you're going northbound with me."

As they headed towards the direction of the Hatch, Charlie cast one look back and his eyes landed upon Claire. She was watching him leave. She wasn't smiling or waving. Just watching. Somewhere deep down she still cared for Charlie and he knew this. This gave him courage. He would have to make up with her in some way when he returned. For now, he gave her a small smile that she did not return, but he could have sworn that the baby she was holding did.

_Back at the beach…_

Sayid had elected to stay at the beach for two purposes. For one, he was the guardian. The other reason was to interrogate their prisoner. Maybe this mysterious man would have some answers to the questions that have been on everyone's minds. Sayid was becoming sick to his stomach whenever he did something here that was reminiscent of his old occupation and he felt that wherever he ended up in life, he would always maintain these habits. He promised himself that he would try to hang on as long as he could without having to torture the man.

The man was tied up to a part of the plane wreckage that was far from the group of survivors on the beach. Nobody would know that he was there unless they came over or if they noticed how frequently Sayid was there. Sayid tried to look inconspicuous as he slowly made his way over. The man was sitting with his arms tied up high and his head lolling to one side. His legs were spread out to the same position that Sayid had left him in when they arrived. He was still bleeding from the bullet wound that Michael had given him but he seemed to not notice it. When Sayid came into view, the man picked his head up and stared at him with burning hate.

Sayid lowered himself to his level and spoke to him in a tone similar to what he would use when speaking to a friend.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The man didn't speak. He only continued to stare.

"Who are you?" Sayid asked again, this time his voice was a little harder.

Nothing.

"If you do not choose to cooperate with me then you will be forcing me to take more _extreme_ measures," Sayid said.

The man was like a statue. He had not taken his eyes off of Sayid and the same hate burned within them like a torch that refused to go out.

Sayid stood up, thinking hard. He did not want to torture this man. He knew in his mind that even if he did torture him he would not talk. It seemed as if he had been on this island forever and if this was true then he had probably endured much worse than what Sayid could provide.

The man seemed to be studying his every move. Watching the way he acted in hopes of catching any weakness or flaw. Sayid didn't like the way he was watching him so he stooped down to his level again. Sayid thought of a better way to get him to talk. He would use psychological methods to try and find _his_ flaws and weaknesses.

"What are you searching for?" he asked. The man still didn't budge. He stared.

"Why did you choose the boy?" Sayid pressed on, determined to make him speak. He looked young under all of that facial hair. Maybe he would be easier to crack.

"Do you have a fascination with children?" Sayid breathed. "Were you not loved enough as a child?"

The man seemed to flinch slightly. The hate in his eyes seemed to change to fear but he still said nothing.

"Were you a horrible son? Did your mother reject you? What is it you are searching for?"

Sayid thought he saw the man's lip tremble. It could have just been because he was staring at him for so long.

"The island won't give you anything," Sayid said. "It never will. Not even for a sacrifice. It's hopeless so you might as well stop trying. You will never leave this island because nobody misses you. Nobody _cares_ about you. You're just a lousy, no good screw-up who probably was dropped on this island by your own mother who didn't want you."

"Shut up!" The man screamed so suddenly that Sayid almost lost his balance. "I will get off this island! Just as soon as I get that little brat back!"

The man stopped and said nothing more. He went back to his slumped state and maintained his hateful watch on him. Sayid stood up to check if anyone had heard. No one. His legs felt weak and they wobbled slightly as he moved away from his hostage. He thought that this method would be easier than torture but he was very wrong. He couldn't believe some of the things that he said and he suddenly couldn't recognize himself. He was a monster. A monster who's job it was to break people down any way possible just for a few bits of information. He needed a drink. His throat was suddenly drier than the sand. As he made his way over to the caves to get fresh water, he considered going back to physical torture.

_Westward…_

"How's your leg?" Shannon asked as she noticed that Jack was limping.

"It's fine," Jack said. It wasn't that bad to begin with. It'll heal quickly."

They had been traveling westward for about ten minutes since they had dispersed into their groups at the hatch. So far, there was no sign of Hurley, anyone one else, or any kind of struggle. There wasn't even any agitated plant life that would suggest any kind of disturbance.

By the looks of it, the sun would only stay visible for another hour. Jack made occasional scratches on certain trees to leave as markers for others to follow if they found Hurley first. He hoped that the others had thought of this too.

"So how long were you guys down there," Shannon asked.

"Huh?"

"In the hatch," she asked, "until Michael and I found you?"

"Oh. Only about an hour and a half."

"Did you find anything else before you found Walt?"

"Nope," Jack said. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about all of the numbers engraved on the walls just yet. "Vincent found _us_. I doubt we would have found Walt in time if he hadn't been there."

Shannon smiled. "Well then I guess it wasn't all bad that I lost Vincent."

"Nope," Jack said, smiling back.

There was a brief silence between them as they continued their search. It wasn't awkward. It was almost foreboding.

"Hey Jack?" Shannon asked. Her voice had changed to a more serious tone.

"Yeah?"

"Did…did Boone ever…did he ever say anything about me before…you know…"

Jack stopped to look at her. She was diverting her gaze away from his. He knew that it was tough for her to talk about him at all.

Jack remembered the last moments before Boone died in which he tried to say something to him. It was something about telling Shannon something. Jack never found out what Boone had wanted him to tell her for he died before he could get all of the words out. Seeing as she was now staring at him hopefully, Jack said what he felt was right.

"Yeah, he did," he said slowly.

Shannon's eyes rimmed with tears. "What?" she asked.

Jack looked into her eyes to make it seem as realistic and sincere as possible. "He told me to tell you that he loved you, and he wanted you to stay strong."

Tears leaked down Shannon's cheeks but she didn't sob. She simply wiped them away and nodded as if that was exactly what she needed to hear. "Thanks, Jack," she said in a strong voice rather than a weeping one. "For everything you did for him."

Jack smiled as tears started to form in his eyes as well.

_Eastward…_

"Over here!" Charlie shouted at Jin as he found something suspicious. Jin rushed over and knelt down next to Charlie.

"Look, I found something. It looks like a footprint."

Jin stared at the ground and saw what Charlie was staring at. He nodded and said something in Korean.

"Whatever," said Charlie. He got up and followed in the direction of the footprint. He was frustrated because he was stuck with the one person who couldn't talk to him. Every time Jin would talk Charlie would roll his eyes and sigh saying, "I can't understand you." Jin was probably saying the same thing when Charlie spoke.

Charlie could not keep his mind off of Claire. No matter what he saw out in the jungle he saw Claire. Not physically of course, but mentally. Jin would often try to get his attention but Charlie would ignore him and keep moving. Jin figured that he was ignoring him because he couldn't understand him, not because his mind was elsewhere.

"Charlie!" Jin suddenly shouted. Charlie whipped around fast as he heard the Korean man say something that he finally understood. He raced over to the tree that Jin was standing by and found what he had called him over for. A shoe was lying at the base of the tree. It was a familiar shoe that Charlie at once recognized to be Hurley's. He looked at Jin and pointed to the shoe. "That's Hurley's shoe!" he said excitedly.

Jin nodded. He understood.

_CRASH_

Charlie and Jin whipped around to where the sound came from. It sounded like a tree had fallen over, a very large tree. Then the other sound came. The sound that was only associated with one thing. The monster.

Charlie's face turned white. Jin's eyes were as wide as they possibly could be.

Then they heard screams. Up until now they were staring towards the treetops looking for the monster, but now they were scanning the jungle floor for people. The bushes in the distance rustled and they heard several branches crack. Someone screamed again. It was a woman's scream. It sounded familiar.

The bushes once again rustled, only this time they were closer and the noise was louder.

Charlie and Jin were frozen. They both recognized that voice but they weren't sure if it was a trap or not. Just as the noise of the monster was heard again, two figures appeared out of the bushes and were charging towards them.

It was Kate and John. Kate was running full speed ahead without looking back. John was looking over his shoulder every few seconds but he still appeared alarmed.

"Run!" Kate shouted as she reached Jin and Charlie. As she and John passed them both, she shouted again.

"Hurry up and RUN!"

_Back at the beach…_

Sawyer was bored. He was still sitting in the same spot with nothing to do. He had no books to read and even if he did have a good book he no longer had his glasses. He really didn't want to get another headache.

Sun was sitting next to him still making the same remedy for his shoulder. Sawyer was getting a little annoyed because she was constantly humming an unfamiliar song. He searched the horizon from where he sat, hoping to find something that sparked his interest. Something did.

Over in the distance he saw Sayid walking away from a piece of the wreckage. He had seen him walking over there earlier and he had to have spent at least fifteen minutes behind it. He was curious as to why he didn't go with the others to search for Hurley. Maybe something behind that piece of debris was more important.

He knew that Sayid was very similar to Jack. He was always trying to play the hero. Sawyer resented Sayid for torturing him and he doubted that he would ever like him.

Something was extremely suspicious about that piece of wreckage and it was bothering Sawyer. "Hey," he said to Sun. She looked up at him, slightly annoyed that he didn't use her name although it didn't show on her face. "Do you know if somebody's over there?" he asked, pointing to the old debris.

Sun looked towards where he pointed and shook her head. "No, I don't," she said truthfully.

Sawyer sighed. "I have to go get some more water," Sun said. Sawyer watched her get up and walk out of sight.

"Perfect," he said to himself. He had been thinking of an excuse to get up and away from there ever since the group had left to find Hurley. Sun made it easy for him and left by herself.

He stretched his legs and then put his good arm on the stump behind him. He pushed himself up slowly and heard several bones crack in relief. He had been sitting there so long that the pleasant stretching he felt from finally moving overpowered the pain that was surging through his arm.

As he got to his feet he swayed slightly. He felt slightly woozy but the hours he had sat there resting gave him enough strength to move about for a while. He started across the beach, slowly at first but gaining speed, and headed towards the old debris. He looked around for anyone spying on him and found no one. As he reached the wreckage and saw what was there, his heart started to pound.

The man tied up to the wreckage, the one who Sayid was talking to, was the man who had shot him. In the very quick moment in which Sawyer was shot, he had seen the face of the man who had pulled his gun on him. He had it permanently in his memory. A wide grin came over his face as he noticed the man's injury.

The man slowly looked up at his visitor. He was obviously expecting Sayid because as his eyes landed on Sawyer, they widened. He apparently remembered shooting him as well.

"Well, well, well," Sawyer said in his normal cocky tone. "Look how the tables have turned."

The man started to struggle to free himself but was unsuccessful. Sawyer smiled wider at the sight of fear in his eyes.

"It looks like fate favors me over you, asshole," Sawyer said, "because you're going to Hell."


End file.
